Michael, Maria, Carradine and Christmas 2: China
by ArchAngel1973
Summary: Post-Graduation. A few years after leaving Roswell, Michael and Maria try to spend a familial Christmas, when new neighbors move in.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: **Characters and plot lines that appeared in the series, the books, and the concept of Roswell are not mine. Belong to Melinda Metz, UPN, etc, etc…

**Part 1**

The quiet of the late morning was disturbed when the large moving van rolled through the normally peaceful neighborhood. The noise drew the attention of the two companions lying on the living room floor, and the pile of building blocks was forgotten in favor of exploring the source of the disruption.

Carradine Guerin hauled himself up on the window seat, resting on his knees as he pressed his hands flat against the cool window panes and peered out. Snow, the American Eskimo dog he had received for Christmas the year before jumped up to sit beside his young master and he sniffed the window before giving it an experimental lick.

"Stop that 'fore you get us in trouble again," Carradine mumbled, pushing the dog back just enough for him to stop licking the glass. He looked around to make sure Mama wasn't where she could see him before he grabbed one of the girly pillows that Daddy always complained about and used it to dry the dog slobber off of the window.

He hurried to shove the pillow back into the corner of the window seat when he heard Mama coming down the hall. She was singing quietly and he knew from the sound of her voice that it meant that Daddy would be home soon for lunch.

His interest was piqued when he saw the people getting out of the car that had followed the moving van and his eyebrows lifted when he saw the small figure clamber out of the backseat and run towards the house. _The new people had a little boy!_ he thought, excited at the prospect of making a new friend. This deserved a closer look.

He jumped down off of the window seat and Snow followed him, barking as they ran through the house to find Mama.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Maria looked up when the sound of small feet pounding through the house accompanied by the click-click of nails upset the quiet and she shook her head when her son and his dog came to a sudden stop near the island in the center of the kitchen.

"How many times do I have to tell you that we do not run in the house?"

"I'm gonna go outside, 'kay, Mama?"

She forced her expression to remain stern. "I just asked you a question, young man."

Carradine dragged the toe of his shoe across the floor as his right hand came up to latch onto the edge of the island. "Sorry, Mama," he mumbled as he stared at the floor. "Can I go outside now?"

_He was as bad as Michael,_ she thought as she sighed and shook her head. She walked over to kneel down in front of him to zip his coat up. _One-track minds both of them._ She pulled his hood up over his head, covering the wool cap he was already wearing and she couldn't hide the smile when he started to fidget. "Go on, but do not leave the yard, Carey."

He made it to the doorway and turned the corner into the hall before he and Snow took off running again. The front door slammed shut moments later and she moved to the window to watch him as he ran around the house. She knew the new neighbors moving in had captured his attention and in true Guerin fashion he was on his way to investigate.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Carradine walked along the white picket fence that surrounded the front yard, looking between the slats since he wasn't quite tall enough to see over them yet. He watched the men in the uniforms as they carried furniture and boxes from the moving van into the house and he tipped his head to one side in curiosity when a woman stepped outside and spoke using words he didn't recognize or understand.

Snow jumped up to brace his front paws against the fence as he pressed his nose between the slats and snuffled loudly before lifting his head and sniffing the air. The dog could sense the excitement in his master and his bushy tail started to wag as he barked once and danced around on his back paws.

The little boy crept along the fence as he did his best to follow the woman who was still standing on the porch. He still didn't know what she was saying but he was pretty sure somebody was in trouble; it was the same tone Mama used when he had done something that he wasn't supposed to do.

Carradine dropped down in the snow to duck behind the row of bushes at the end of the picket fence, planted there to create a living fence when the woman turned to look in his direction. He wrapped his arm around Snow's neck as he pressed his gloved hand over the dog's muzzle. "Shhh," he hissed. "We gotta be quiet now."

Snow shook free and licked the boy's cheek before barking joyfully and running across the yard to pick up a stick that had fallen from one of the trees in the yard. Carradine shook his head at his pet's goofy behavior and he was just about to get up and look over the bushes when he heard a sniffing sound behind him. _Maybe the new people had a dog, too!_

He slowly turned around and peeked through the sparse bush in an attempt to locate the source of the sound. He frowned when he couldn't see anything and he slowly shifted onto his hands and knees and crawled to the edge of the bushes to look around them. He saw the blue coat first and he stood, squeezing between the hedge and the neighbor's house. His eyebrows lifted in interest when he saw his potential new friend sitting on the ground and he wondered if that was why his mother had been fussing. Mama always yelled when she caught him sitting on the ground when it was cold outside, too.

"Hey," he greeted, unconsciously echoing his father. "I live – " Before he could get any further with his opening, the new kid surged to his feet and hit him before shoving him back to his own side of the hedge.

"Don't come over here!"

Carradine was in the process of surging to his feet when the voice startled him and he fell down on his backside again. He stared up in shock as he realized that the new kid was not a boy… _it was a girl! Yuck, who wanted a girl around?_

"I'm tellin' my daddy that you was on our side of the fence!" she threatened.

"Oh, yeah?" He scrambled to his feet and faced off with her over the hedge. "I'm tellin' my dad you hit me an' then you're gonna be in trouble!"

She had the nerve to snort at his statement. "So? My dad can beat your dad up."

"Huh-uh, you better take that back!"

"Nope… wuss!" She shoved a handful of snow off of the top of the hedge, coating him in a dusting of snow.

Carradine's hands clenched into fists at his sides as he glared at her. He knew better than to hit a girl and he was saved from having to say anything else when Snow ran between them and jumped up against the hedge, barking loud enough to make the girl move back.

She stuck her tongue out at him and marched back up to her front porch. "I'm tellin' on you… my mom will tell your mom somethin'!"

He turned away and kicked a stick across the yard. _Why did it have to be a girl? Why couldn't the new neighbors have a boy instead? Girls sucked._ He stalked up to the front door and went inside, kicking his boots off and jerking his coat, had and gloves off before stomping into the living room. He was just settling down for a good sulk when he heard the back door open and a moment later Daddy's voice announced his arrival for lunch.


	2. Chapter 2

**Part 2**

Maria was pulling plates down from the cabinet when she heard Michael stomping snow off of his boots in the small room off of the kitchen. She smiled a moment later when a pair of strong arms wrapped around her waist and she was pulled up against her husband's body.

"Michael!" she squealed, squirming to get away when he buried his cold face against the warm spot between her neck and shoulder.

Laughter rumbled in his chest as he released her and he smiled when she turned, wrapping her arms around his neck and kissing him. "How's your day so far?" she asked when she leaned back in his arms to look up at him. She smoothed her hands over his dark grey uniform shirt as she waited for his answer.

"Not bad. Little bit slow, but that's not unusual for this time of year. With most of the students heading out for the holidays it's been pretty quiet."

They had moved to a nice little house in Quebec earlier that year and Michael worked in the security department for the university. As the head of the department he had the freedom to make his own hours and privileges such as coming home for lunch every day.

"Lunch will be ready in a few minutes."

"I'll go round up Carey and get him washed up so we can eat."

"He was outside watching the movers unloading the new neighbors' furniture. I heard him come back in a few minutes ago."

Michael nodded and left the kitchen, walking through the house to find his son. It was unusual for him to come home and not be greeted by the active little boy and he glanced into the rooms as he moved back to the bedrooms. He leaned in the doorway of Carradine's room, arms folded over his chest as he watched his son.

Carradine was lying on his stomach on the floor, staring at the little plastic soldiers lined up across the floor. Snow was lying across from him on the opposite side of the 'battle zone', watching his young master intently. The dog's eyes sparkled with joy and his tail wagged when the little boy raised his right hand and sent one of the soldiers flying without ever touching it. Snow barked and leapt up, catching the toy and dropping it back on the floor before assuming his previous position once more.

Michael's eyebrows lifted when his little boy's muttered words reached his ears but he was only able to pick up a few of the words. 'Stupid' and 'girl' were repeated multiple times and were quickly followed by another soldier being catapulted across the room. He decided to wait and see if Carradine brought up whatever his problem was with the unknown little girl and cleared his throat to announce his presence.

Carradine turned his head when the noise startled him and he scrambled to his feet, running over to Daddy and jumping up into his arms. "Hi, Daddy," he greeted, hugging his father when he lifted him up and settled him against his side.

"Looks like quite the battle goin' on down there," Michael said, nodding at the little soldiers scattered around the room.

Carradine's left hand played with Daddy's collar as he stared at the toys. "How come we can't hit girls, Daddy? How come they can hit us but we're not 'posed to hit 'em back?"

Michael's right eyebrow lifted as he looked at his son. "First of all, we don't ever hit girls because it's wrong. It's not right for them to go around hittin' us either, but that doesn't make it right for us to hit them back when they do."

"But how come?" He picked at Daddy's collar. "I know 'cause it's wrong, but…"

"How would you feel if someone hit Mama?"

Carradine lifted his head to look at Daddy and his expression was serious as he shook his head. "Why would someone do that? No one would do that, Daddy."

"What if someone did though?"

"Then they'd be in big trouble 'cause you'd be real mad," he stated matter-of-factly.

"Okay, that's true," Michael chuckled. "But how would you feel?"

"I'd be mad… an' sad too."

"Why?" he asked as he reached up to smooth the little boy's hair.

Carradine thought about it for a moment. "Well, 'cause it'd be bad… 'cause it's wrong."

"Right."

"Okay, but… girls are dumb, Daddy."

Michael snorted as he set his little boy down and herded him down the hall to the bathroom so they could wash up for lunch. "You do know Mama's a girl, don't you?"

"But Mama's different, Daddy… she's better than any ol' girl."

"You won't get an argument outta me, Carey."

Maria was setting the table when they joined her and she smiled at them. "Took you two long enough," she said with a glance between them.

Michael shook his head as he took his place at the table. "Just a little guy talk."

"Yeah, Mama, an' you're a girl."

She smiled, amused by his statement. "I see. And that excludes me from knowing what you two were talking about?"

Carradine ducked his head and made a face when she ran her hand over his hair. "Mama," he complained. _Mama was different and she was better than other girls,_ he thought, _but she was still a girl._

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Michael was standing behind Carradine as he scraped his plate off before holding it up for Maria to take and place in the sink. He lifted his head when he heard a knock at the door and he glanced at his wife to see if she was expecting anyone. He leaned over to grab Carradine's belt when he started to run out of the room.

"I can get it, Daddy," he insisted.

"You can but you're not." He turned his little boy around and gave him a gentle push in his mother's direction. "Stay with Mama."

Carradine crossed his arms over his chest and stuck his bottom lip out as he looked up at Mama. "I can answer the door."

"Yes, you can. When we're expecting company, but not when someone unexpected shows up. You know Daddy always answers the door if it's someone we don't know."

"I know," he mumbled. He traced his sock-covered toes around the edge of one of the floor tiles, looking up when he heard Daddy coming back. His expression was curious when he saw the woman who came into the kitchen with him.

"Maria, this's Mei Mercier, our new neighbor." He motioned to the little girl standing next to her mother, arms crossed over her chest as she glared at Carradine. "And this's her daughter, China."

Maria smiled and shook the woman's hand before greeting her daughter. The little girl was all smiles until her attention focused on Carradine once more. "I saw the movers over at your house this morning," Maria said. "Have they got you all moved in?"

"The furniture and boxes are all over the house, but it'll take time to get everything unpacked and organized," Mei said in a soft, accented voice. "My husband's company transferred us here from Beijing and he had to start immediately so I'm doing the majority of the unpacking."

"Well, if there's anything I can do to give you a hand, don't hesitate to ask," Maria offered. Mei was of Asian descent and appeared to be around her age, she realized. Most of their neighbors were older so it would be nice to have someone closer to her age around. China and Carradine were about the same age but she could see that it was going to take time for them to get along. They were both so far away from their homes and while that wasn't something she could ever really talk about in any detail it was nice to know that they had some common ground.

"Thank you. I'm afraid I'm not just coming over to introduce myself. China's not happy about our moving here and leaving all of her little friends back home so she's been a bit more temperamental than usual. When your little boy was outside earlier the two of them were fighting about who was in whose yard or some nonsense like that and China pushed him to the ground." She gave her daughter an unsubtle nudge. "We came over so that she can apologize."

"He's the one who was in our yard," the little girl hissed as she looked up at her mother.

"Carey, what were you doing in their yard?" Maria asked. "I told you to stay in our yard."

"I was just gonna go say hi to the new boy but it was just her. A girl," he said, sounding disgusted with his discovery.

Michael leaned against the counter and observed the exchanges going on between mothers and children. He hid a smile when Carradine ducked his head and shot an irritated glance at the little girl. _His son's questions about hitting and girls made sense now,_ he thought.

"She said her dad could beat Daddy up, Mama," Carradine said, trying a different approach when he realized that Mama wasn't being persuaded. "An' then she called me a wuss! Just 'cause I didn't hit 'er back." He turned to glare at China and stuck his tongue out at her.

"Carradine DeLuca-Guerin," Maria chastised when she saw the rude gesture. "Now you can apologize too."

"I'm not sayin' sorry to her," he muttered, crossing his arms over his chest stubbornly.

"So?" China snarled. "I'm not sorry neither an' if he's not gonna say sorry I'm not gonna say it neither. It's his fault anyway. I wouldn't have pushed him if he wasn't in our yard."

"I don't care whose fault it was, China Mercier," Mei interrupted when her daughter attempted to explain once again that it wasn't her fault. "You will apologize for pushing him."

The little girl's mutinous expression became more set as she looked at Carradine and forced out a mumbled, "Sorry."

"Mama," he complained when he received a warning nudge from behind. When he spoke, his tone clearly indicated that he wasn't the least bit sorry but he forced the apology out. "Sorry."

Michael crossed his arms over his chest, amused by the children's behavior as they did their best to antagonize each other without drawing their mothers' attention. He only listened with half an ear as the women discussed raising children with tempers and the best ways they had discovered to deal with them.


	3. Chapter 3

**Part 3**

Maria was sitting at the kitchen table after Michael had gone back to work and Mei had taken her daughter and gone back home. Carradine and Snow had gone back to his room to play and she was enjoying a few minutes of peace and quiet. She stared down at the notebook lying open on the table and her fingertips gently brushed over the pages filled with ink. Letters to her mother and Liz that would never be sent but they helped ease the loneliness for a brief time while she was writing.

She was able to see her mother on occasion thanks to Isabel's abilities on the dream plane and Liz had become more adept at using astral projection but it just wasn't the same as being able to see them in person. She and Michael had intentionally chosen a house in a neighborhood where most of the residents were older and she stayed at home with Carradine while Michael was at work. She missed working and being out around other people but they had decided that it would be better if Carradine was home-schooled for the first few years until he had a good grasp on his powers.

Michael did his best and he was great company but she missed having a girlfriend to hang out with. She loved him but she missed going shopping, to a movie, or just hanging out and talking to a good friend over lunch. Friendship was important and she craved that companionship but it was difficult to meet people with her current schedule.

She smiled as she thought about the short conversation she'd had with Mei after Michael had left to go back to work. She had met and married her husband Hugo Mercier, a French-Canadian man, when he had been transferred to one of his company's divisions in Beijing almost eight years ago. They had moved to the States when China was two and then back to Beijing when she was four. The re-assignment to Quebec had been unexpected but it had come with a promotion so the family had moved once again. Mei was ready to settle down in one place but knew that it was a possibility that in a year or two they could very well be moving again.

She was familiar with moving around a lot, having to settle into a new place and meet new people. It made it difficult to form attachments when you knew leaving was nearly inevitable. She had invited Mei and her family over for dinner that night, knowing from personal experience that the first night in a new place meant eating out because nothing in the house was easily accessible yet and the kitchen would only have the few basics that had been purchased during a quick run to the store.

She looked up when Carradine came into the room and climbed up on one of the chairs, propping his elbows on the table and leaning forward to look at her. "Mama, how come you said for them to come over for dinner?"

"Because it was the polite thing to do."

"Does that China girl gotta come too?"

Maria couldn't help the smile that appeared at his choice of words. _He was Michael's son; there was no doubt about that!_ "Yes, Carey, she has to come too. Her parents can't come over for dinner and just leave her at home."

He looked down when Snow pressed his wet nose against his young master's pants and snuffled, wagging his tail and taking several bouncing steps backwards. "Me an' Snow's gonna go play 'fore that _girl_ comes over."

Maria chuckled when they left the room and she could hear him telling Snow all about 'dumb girls'. She wondered what it would take for Carradine and China to move beyond their dislike of each other. Considering the fact that he had apparently inherited his father's way with girls it was quite possible they were in for a lengthy battle between their son and their neighbors' daughter.

She closed the notebook and put it away before going into the kitchen to look over the options for dinner.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Michael stomped the snow off of his boots before stepping into the small room off of the kitchen and taking them off. He shrugged out of his coat and hung it up on one of the hooks behind the door and moved his head from side to side to relax the tension in his muscles. It had been a long day and he was ready to sit down to dinner and then just kick back in his recliner and enjoy a few hours with Carradine and a hockey game.

"Daddy!"

He looked down when Carradine barreled into him, latching onto his hand and tugging on it insistently. "What's up, buddy?" he asked, crouching down beside his little boy.

"Mama 'vited them people over an' she said that China girl's gotta come too," he complained.

"She invited them over… what, tonight?" Michael shook his head. _No, not tonight! There was a game on tonight!_

"Uh-huh, they're 'posed to be comin' over soon. They don't gotta come over, right, Daddy?"

"You go feed Snow an' let me talk to Mama."

Carradine grinned as he turned and ran through the kitchen to go find his dog.

"Maria," Michael said as he walked into the kitchen and up behind her to wrap his arms around her waist. He smiled when he nuzzled her neck and she tipped her head to the side to give him better access. "Tell me Carey misunderstood and you didn't really invite the new neighbors over for dinner tonight."

"Michael, explaining this to our five-year-old son was one thing, but you're old enough to know better." She turned and smiled up at him before giving him a quick kiss and ducking out of his arms. "They'll be here in half an hour so go get cleaned up and get Carey ready."

"Aww, Maria, the game's on tonight," he protested. "It's supposed to be dinner and then the game. Havin' company means you're gonna expect me to sit around an' be social instead of watching the game."

"Michael, the minutes are ticking away."

"Oh, alright, I'll go get ready but this thing better be over before the game ends. It's a big game, ya know."

Maria shook her head when he left the room, still muttering under his breath.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Carradine made a face at the strange green things on his plate as he poked them with his finger. Mama was talking to that China girl's parents so he shifted closer to Daddy and reached out to touch his arm. "What's them, Daddy?"

Michael glanced at his son and nearly laughed at the expression of disgust on his face. The only thing that held his humor in check was the look his wife was giving him from the other end of the table. "Uh, Maria, you wanna give me a hand here?"

"It's asparagus, Carey."

"What's that?"

"It's a vegetable." She smiled when he shook his head. "Just try it, sweetie, you might find out you like it."

He picked up one of the stalks and stared at it for several moments before sticking his tongue out, just enough to touch the asparagus before making a face and throwing it back on his plate. "Huh-uh, I don't like it, Mama."

Mei chuckled. "China is the same way about carrots."

"I like carrots," Carradine said, shooting a look at China. "Can I have some carrots 'stead of these, Mama?"

The little girl snorted and picked up one of the vegetables from her plate. "I like 'sparagus," she said and bit into it. She chewed it a couple of times before she made a face, glaring at Carradine when he laughed.

"Carradine," Maria said, her tone one of warning.

Michael was trying to figure out how to get rid of the asparagus on his own plate while checking his watch when he noticed his neighbor trying to check his own watch without his wife realizing what he was doing. "You wouldn't be a hockey fan would you?"

Hugo was a tall, rugged man who looked like he'd be more at home outdoors than spending his days in a suit handling business meetings. He looked up at the mention of his favorite sport and he shrugged at his wife when she shook her head at him. "Are you kiddin'? Tonight's game is one of the biggest games of the season. Gotta admit, I was plannin' to head out to one of the sports bars to catch it since the satellite hasn't been installed yet."

"We've got a few more minutes before the game starts…"

"Michael."

"Hugo."

The two women looked at each other and laughed when they spoke to their husbands at the same time.

"It's amazing how quickly they can turn into little boys again, isn't it?" Maria remarked to her neighbor before turning her attention back to her husband. "Dinner first."

Michael nodded and glanced at his plate once more. He had to figure out a way to get rid of that asparagus first. He looked down at the floor where Snow was lying under Carradine's chair, dozing while waiting for dinner to be over so they could go play. He nudged the dog and gave a fake cough while he snapped his fingers to get the animal's attention.

He motioned for the dog to sit when Maria got up to go into the kitchen for something and their neighbors tried to convince their daughter to eat her vegetables. He nearly laughed when his gaze met his son's and the little boy shook his head.

"It's gross, Daddy."

"Yeah, I'm with you on that, buddy. Leave it to your mother to get creative on a night when she invites company over. Slide your plate over here." One of the coolest things about having a dog around the house was it would eat anything that fell off of the table. Normally Snow didn't get much of a chance because Maria was a good cook, but every once in a while she'd sneak in something new that he and Carradine just didn't like and when that happened having a four-legged garbage disposal around was very handy.

He reached for the three asparagus stalks that Carradine had been playing with, plucking them from the mashed potatoes where they were standing upright. He quickly chopped the stalks up and covered them with the potatoes, sliding the plate back just as Maria returned to the table. He forced an innocent expression onto his face when she just looked at him, trying to figure out what he had been doing.

Michael waited until she got lost in a conversation with Mei about her homeland and he grabbed one of the asparagus stalks from his own plate, carefully sneaking it over the side of the table and waiting for the dog to take it. He rolled his eyes when the dog took his own sweet time sniffing the offering before taking a step back and looking up at him as if he'd lost his mind. "Take it," he whispered, annoyed with the animal's refusal. Snow glanced up at him and took a halting step back towards him, taking the asparagus stalk and running across the room.


	4. Chapter 4

**Part 4**

**From Part 3: **_Michael waited until she got lost in a conversation with Mei about her homeland and he grabbed one of the asparagus stalks from his own plate, carefully sneaking it over the side of the table and waiting for the dog to take it. He rolled his eyes when the dog took his own sweet time sniffing the offering before taking a step back and looking up at him as if he'd lost his mind. "Take it," he whispered, annoyed with the animal's refusal. Snow glanced up at him and took a halting step back towards him, taking the asparagus stalk and running across the room._

He was wondering just how much longer it was going to take to get the dog to take the other two stalks when Snow started to bark.

Maria stood up to see what was agitating the dog and she frowned at the strange little advance and retreat dance the animal was doing. He had cornered something and now he was playing with it, advancing to paw at it before quickly dancing backwards and barking at it again. A quick glance at her husband told her what the dog had 'captured' and she shook her head at him.

Michael shrugged, knowing he had been caught and not showing the slightest bit of remorse.

"You two take your plates to the kitchen if you're finished. And Michael… clean up that mess the dog's made pouncing all over that asparagus."

"Cake now, Mama?" Carradine asked as he slid off of his chair and grabbed his plate.

Maria looked at him and had to remind herself that she couldn't give in when she saw the too innocent look on his little face. "No sir. There won't be any cake tonight for you or your father since neither of you ate your veggies."

"But Mama…"

"Do not 'but Mama' me, Carey. Take your plate in the kitchen and scrape it off before putting it in the sink."

He looked down at the plate in his hands, staring at the mashed potato-covered vegetables before looking at Mama again. "So, I gotta eat this if I want cake?"

"Yes." She looked at her husband. "That goes for both of you."

"Sometimes it's like having two children, isn't it?" Mei asked with a smile. Hugo could be just as bad and she had caught him and China conspiring in such things before.

"Yes, it is," Maria agreed.

Carradine looked up at Daddy when he walked past him, carrying his own plate to the kitchen. "I really want the cake, Daddy."

"Then you're gonna have to eat that asparagus, buddy. Mama's not playin'."

"You don't want no cake?"

"I guess I'll have to wait until tomorrow." He leaned down over his wife's shoulder to whisper in her ear. "Or tonight… have my cake and eat it too." He grinned when she smacked his hip and gave him a little push towards the kitchen.

"So, Hugo, you ready for some hockey?" he asked when he came back.

Hugo glanced at his wife and she sighed, waving him away. "Go on, you won't be paying any attention to the conversation anyway."

"Me too, Dad?" China asked.

He chose not to comment on her usage of her dinner roll to strategically hide her asparagus. "Mei?"

"You two just try to behave."

He smiled and kissed her cheek before he and their daughter followed Michael into the living room to watch the game.

Carradine bit his bottom lip as he debated how badly he wanted dessert. He turned his head when he heard the television come on and the announcer's voices as they discussed the upcoming game.

"Carey, c'mon, buddy, the game's about to start," Michael said as he came back into the dining room. "The cake'll still be there tomorrow." He watched his son carry his plate into the kitchen and he glanced at his wife. "You know, I could make him some carrots, it wouldn't take but a few minutes. C'mon, he tried the asparagus and he didn't like it."

"Go watch the game, Michael."

He opened his mouth to protest but quickly closed it again when Carradine came into the room, shooting a sad look at them and dragging his feet. He scooped the little boy up and tossed him over his shoulder, tickling him and making him giggle and squirm around.

Maria shook her head at her boys when they noisily left the room. "They can be a handful," she said with a soft smile.

"Yes," Mei chuckled.

"Especially at this time of the year." Maria stood to clear the table, shaking her head when her neighbor stood to help. She waved Mei back into her seat. "This won't take but a minute. It must have been quite a headache to move so close to Christmas," she commented as she gathered up the dishes and carried them into the kitchen, depositing them into the sink to be dealt with later.

"It was not the time I would have chosen," the other woman agreed. "China is very excited about celebrating the holidays here though. I've grown quite fond of this celebration. Hugo introduced me to his family's Christmas traditions and China has grown up with them. She was so worried that Santa Claus would miss her because we moved that she wrote another letter before we moved to let him know where we would be this Christmas."

Maria returned with two cups of hot tea that she placed on the table as she sat down again. "Children make Christmas so much fun, don't they?"

"Sometimes I think we have more fun than they do this time of the year." Mei took a sip of her tea.

"I think that's definitely true in Michael's case. He turns into a big kid this time of year and he just loves to buy Carey's gifts." She smiled, thinking about how much he had grown to love the holidays now that they had Carradine in their lives. "I would love to have a little girl so I could go crazy with things at Christmastime."

Their conversation was interrupted when their husbands' disagreement with a call was vocalized loudly. The racket was occasionally interspersed by their children's voices as they tried to be heard over their fathers.

"Someone's team just scored," Maria said with an eye roll.

"Your son sounds quite enthusiastic about this sport."

"Yes, like his father, he's embraced sports. Especially hockey. Just about everything on his Christmas list is related to hockey and I can't even tell you how happy that makes my husband."

Mei winced when her daughter's shrill voice reached her ears as she emulated Hugo by shouting at the referee who had apparently just made a lousy call. "China has been… how do you call it… a Daddy's girl?" she nodded when Maria made a sound of agreement. "Yes, since she was born. She spends every waking moment with him when he's home and he's been teaching her to ice skate." She shook her head but a smile played over her lips. "He insists she'll be a professional hockey player one day. She wants to play on one of the youth teams when she's more confident about what she's doing."

"Carey would love that." And no doubt, so would Michael. "Although, considering their current relationship it might be best if we didn't turn them loose on each other armed with hockey equipment."

"A very good suggestion," Mei agreed with a smile.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

It was a couple of days later as Maria was watching the children through the living room window that she realized she and Michael were going to have to have another talk with Carradine. He was always careful with his powers, but like his father, when his emotions were heightened they weren't quite as controlled. He and China were facing off over the hedge once again, arms folded across their chests as they glared at each other from their own yards. They had already exchanged heated words and now they were silent, each waiting for the other one to break first. Today it was China.

The little girl said something before shoving snow off the top of the hedge into Carradine's face. He jumped backwards to avoid the worst of it and he threw his right hand out towards the hedge, throwing even more snow back at her. She knew to the casual observer it would look like he had done exactly the same thing China had done but if they looked closer they would realize that his hand had never actually made contact with the snow.

China took several steps backwards and landed on her backside in the snow. It took several seconds for her to gather her wits about her and then she was on her feet and charging the hedge, coming halfway across it to shove Carradine back to land in the snow.

Maria hurried to the front door, pulling it open and calling him back into the house before he had the time to retaliate.

Carradine stomped up on the porch and into the house, pulling his gloves and hat off as he looked up at her. "I hate her, Mama!" he declared, looking down at his dog when Snow shook to rid himself of the snow clinging to his coat.

"It's not nice to hate people, Carey," Maria said as she helped him out of his coat and boots.

"She sucks the big one!"

She winced at his choice of phrases and knew Michael was to blame for that one. "Okay, never say that again."

"Daddy says it," he insisted.

"I don't care what Daddy said, I don't want you repeating it. Do you understand me?"

"Yeah," he mumbled, staring at the hardwood floor where the snow from his boots was quickly beginning to melt.

"Go clean up for lunch."

"Is Daddy comin' home?"

Maria glanced up from cleaning the mess on the floor. "No, he said he'd be busy at work today but he'll be home a little earlier than usual." She made a shooing motion. "Go on now, go get cleaned up."

"Okay, Mama."

She sighed when he ran out of the room with Snow right beside him. _Michael seriously needed to watch what he said around Carey,_ she thought. Their son was picking up all kinds of things and repeating them at every opportunity.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Maria was sitting next to Michael on their bedroom floor, her mind on the events of that morning while he fought with the wrapping paper on one of Carradine's Christmas presents. He had locked them in, using his powers to ensure that they wouldn't be interrupted unexpectedly if their little boy woke up and wandered down to their room.

"Michael, I think we need to have a talk with Carradine," she started.

He reached for the next gift, holding up the black and white helmet with chrome cage. "That's pretty cool, huh?" He nodded to himself when she didn't answer right away. "Last year was all about the dog, but this year?" He snorted as he put the helmet back in its box. "This year Dad's got it covered."

"China pushes his buttons and annoys him like nothing else. He's going to do something to show his powers if he isn't careful."

Michael still wasn't paying attention as he picked up a pair of ice skates that were also black and white. "Check these bad boys out, Maria."

She shook her head at him as she looked at the items scattered around their bedroom, most of them out of the boxes they came in. He was like a big kid at Christmas and she wasn't sure if he or Carradine would be getting the most enjoyment out of this year's presents. "Michael – "

"Oh, oh, and take a look at this…" He stretched back to grab the hockey stick off of the bed, proudly holding it up in both hands. The store had called and told him his order had come in that morning and it was the reason he hadn't been able to make it home for lunch. "Huh? Badass, right? I'm tellin' you, our kid's gonna be the best center in the NHL one day. You've seen him watchin' hockey with me… he loves the sport. Five years old and he's just absorbing everything he can about it… players, rules, positions, stats. It's a sign, Maria. He was born to be a great player."

"Michael, this is nice, but I'm trying to have a serious conversation with you about our son."

"Can you just imagine his face on Christmas mornin'? This's the year, Maria! He's gonna be so excited when he starts tearin' into his presents. Oh, and when he finds out that he's been signed up for ice-skating and hockey lessons… Maria, he's gonna…"

Maria sighed and dropped back to lie down, covering her eyes with her right arm as she muttered under her breath about men and their obsession with transforming their sons into famous athletes.

He glanced at her, rolling his eyes at her dramatics. He didn't understand what the big deal was. He and Carradine had already had the talk about not revealing his powers to anyone and about not hitting girls, so what was the big deal? Carradine was a smart kid and he had been very clear when they had talked.

Maria rubbed her eyes when Michael proceeded to tell her that there was nothing to worry about. "Michael, I know you've already talked to him about these things, but it wouldn't hurt to remind him again."

He paused in his admiration of the hockey stick when he caught her tone. He set the stick aside and reached for her hand, pulling her into a sitting position and wrapping his arms around her. "Hey, I'll talk to Carey, okay? You don't have to worry about him, ya know? We've raised him right. He might be a kid but he's conscious of who and what he is."

"What he is, Michael is a five-year-old little boy."

"And I will talk to him," he promised as he lowered her back to the floor and followed her down. "We don't wanna be heavy-handed with this. Trust me, Maria," he murmured against her lips.

"Always," she whispered as her fingers tangled in his hair to keep him close.


	5. Chapter 5

**Part 5**

Carradine was coming out of his room the next morning when he heard Daddy talking to someone and he hurried down the hall to find him. He paused in the kitchen doorway when he saw Daddy leaning on the open refrigerator door studying something. "Whatcha doin', Daddy?" he asked as he climbed up on one of the chairs and leaned his elbows on the table.

"Thinkin' about makin' breakfast," Michael answered as he grabbed a pack of bacon and tossed it on the counter.

"Mama's not gonna make it?"

"We're gonna let Mama sleep in this mornin', buddy. She was up late last night."

Carradine wrinkled his nose at that, wondering why Mama stayed up late sometimes and why it always made Daddy smile. "Can I help?"

Michael set a mixing bowl on the table along with the water and dry mix he'd already measured. "You can get the pancakes ready to cook."

"You don't gotta work today?" Carradine asked as he resituated himself so he was on his knees.

"I'm goin' in a little bit later this mornin'. I thought the two of us could have a little talk while we make breakfast."

"What're we gonna talk about, Daddy?"

Michael started lying bacon in the frying pan as he thought about what he wanted to say. "Do you remember the talk we had about your powers?"

"'Bout how I'm not 'posed to use 'em 'round other people 'cept you an' Mama?" He nodded. "I 'member."

"That's good. Mama thought she might've seen you usin' your powers just a little bit yesterday when you an' China were out in the front yard."

Carradine bit his bottom lip as he studied the pancake batter he was mixing. "Well… she started it, Daddy!"

"It doesn't really matter who started it, Carey." He turned the heat down under the pan and moved to sit across from his son. "Listen to me, buddy. You can't let your powers get outta control like that, you understand me?"

"She just makes me so mad!"

Michael tried to hide a smirk as he nodded. "Yeah, I know, but that's even more reason to be careful. It would be very bad if someone else saw you usin' your powers. Think you can remember that? No usin' your powers and definitely no hittin' girls."

Carradine sighed heavily. "Okay, Daddy."

"Okay then." He started to get up to check on the bacon when he remembered the other topic Maria had brought up for discussion the night before. "Oh, an' there's one other thing… ya know how I sometimes say that somethin' sucks the big one?"

The little boy looked at him and nodded enthusiastically. "Yeah, I said that 'bout China but Mama told me to not say it no more."

"Yeah, Mama's right about that, buddy." He made a face. "It's not a nice thing to say anyway, but it's really not nice to say it to a girl."

"How come?"

Michael cleared his throat. "It's just a really rude thing to say."

"But you say it," Carradine said, not understanding.

"Not anymore. From now on neither of us is gonna say it, okay?"

"Is it 'cause it'll make Mama happy?"

"Well, yeah, that, and it really is a rude thing to say."

"'Kay, Daddy." He went back to mixing the batter and he laughed when Daddy cursed under his breath and hurried to the stove.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Michael sipped his coffee to test the temperature, deciding it was too hot to drink just yet. He set the cup aside and glanced up when Maria came into the room, blinking sleepily and heading straight for him. He took her hand and pulled her down into his lap, wrapping his arms around her as he kissed her good morning.

"Mmm," she murmured against his lips. "What're you doing up and already dressed this early on a Saturday morning?"

"I told you I'd take Carey to go and pick the tree up to give you a break, remember?"

"Oh, I completely forgot all about that." She rested her forehead against his neck and sighed. "Crap. I told Mei we'd keep China for her so she could do some Christmas shopping today."

"I can take both of the kids with me."

Maria snorted. "Um, Michael, I love you for that but you haven't had to put up with the two of them in a confined space. They're still in the 'I hate you' stage and they'll drive you insane trying to outdo each other."

"I think you've forgotten that I have experience dealin' with difficult girls."

"Uh-huh." She took a sip of his coffee. "There's a world of difference between five and 16, Michael. And I was not difficult."

He chose to let that one go. "I'm a big boy, Maria. I can handle two kids until lunchtime."

"Okay," she said with a smile. "I'm gonna make breakfast. You're gonna need the energy."

Michael rolled his eyes when she got up to get breakfast started. He didn't know what she was so worried about. Carradine could be a handful but he handled him just fine. _Seriously, how much harder could it be to keep an eye on two of them?_

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Michael was ready to scream by the time he pulled back into the driveway. It was the last time he ever went anywhere with both kids! He had lost track of time so he had no idea how many hours they had been gone but at least he could turn them over to Maria and then he was hiding out in their room for the rest of the day.

In the backseat Carradine and Chine were shoving each other and shouting insults at the top of their lungs, the sound shrill and grating on his already frayed nerves. One of them kicked the back of his seat hard enough that he felt it and he shoved the car door open, climbing out and inhaling a calming breath.

It lasted all of five seconds before Carradine yanked a handful of China's hair and she smacked him upside the head. The screaming started again and he decided he could deal with nails on a chalkboard better than he could deal with this sound. He ran his hands through his hair and just barely resisted the urge to start yanking it out. He reached for the back door instead, jerking it open and enjoying the brief moment of shocked silence.

"Out of the car, both of you."

"Oooh," Carradine said, his tone superior, "you made him mad. You're in sooo much trouble now."

China barreled into Carradine as soon as they were both out of the car and they ended up rolling around in the snow, pushing, pulling and hitting each other.

Michael grabbed both of them by their coats, knee-deep in snow and trying to pull them apart. A wave of snow hit him in the face and he stumbled back, losing his balance and falling into the snow. He got to his feet and managed to get a solid grip on both kids this time, pulling them up onto their feet and holding them apart.

"That's it, I've had it!" He maneuvered them into the house, dodging several kicks from both of them as they tried to get to each other. He got them out of their winter outer clothes, leaving all of it in a pile by the front door so he could herd them into the living room to sit them down in front of the television.

"This sucks," China muttered, crossing her arms over her chest and glaring at Carradine.

"You suck more," he shot back, unintentionally mirroring her pose.

"I don't wanna hear one more word out of either of you," Michael bit out, trying to control his temper. "You watch TV and keep your mouths shut."

"She started – "

"He started – "

"No! I don't care who started it! I'm stoppin' it right now. If I hear one more word out of either of you I'll…" _What would he do?_ "I want you both quiet and on your best behavior or I'll be contacting one of Santa's helpers to let him know how you've been behaving. You know Santa doesn't leave presents unless you've been good and right now neither of you are gonna be on his list." He shrugged when their mouths dropped open, identical expressions of shock on their faces. "I'm gonna go find your mother, Carey, and I'd better not hear another word out of either of you."

China chewed on her bottom lip for several minutes after Carradine's dad left the room. "Can he really do that?" she whispered.

Carradine swallowed hard and nodded. "Daddy can do anything."

They were silent for a while, lost in their own thoughts as they considered Christmas without Santa Claus bringing presents.

"Santa has to come," China said quietly.

Carradine nodded, his mind on everything he had asked for. "Then we gotta be good." He wrinkled his nose. "But I still don't like you."

"I don't like you neither, but if we want Santa to still come we gotta act like we like each other 'cause if not your daddy's gonna be a big meanie an' tell Santa to not bring us any presents."

He thought about that for a moment. "Okay, but only 'til after Christmas," he clarified.

"Yeah, after we got our presents we can not like each other again."

Agreement decided on, they each scooted over until they were sitting on opposite sides of the living room.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Maria glanced up from the book she had been reading at the kitchen table when her husband walked in, hair standing up in places and snow sticking to his clothes. "Seriously, Michael… Santa threats?" she asked as she set her mug of hot chocolate aside.

She couldn't hide the amusement in her voice or the smug expression on her face. She had known exactly what he was getting into and she had tried to warn him but had he listened to her? No, of course not. He was so sure he knew better. Well, now he knew she was right. Taking Carradine and China out together and keeping them in a confined space while they were at war? No, big mistake… rookie mistake, and one her husband wasn't likely to make again.

"Do you know what your son did? And that little hellion that belongs to the neighbors?"

Maria bit her lip to keep from laughing at him as he paced around the kitchen. The poor man looked like he had reached the end of his rope. "They didn't get along?" she asked when it became clear that he was waiting for an answer.

"Didn't get along? Massive understatement, Maria. Didn't get along," he snorted. "In the car they were either bickering, pulling each other's hair or kicking each other. When they weren't doin' that they were makin' faces and shootin' death glares back an' forth. And, oh, my God, the fighting, kicking, and high-pitched screaming… it only got worse when they got outta the car!"

"Worse?" Maria echoed, hiding a smile behind her mug.

"It's not funny, Maria! They couldn't stay put, they were all over the damn place! Chasin' each other around the lot, runnin' into people, knockin' things over, throwin' snow…" His expression sobered as his voice dropped. "He was usin' his powers," he hissed. "I got hit multiple times tryin' to keep 'em apart. I've been shoved, kicked, and one of 'em bit me!"

"Ha! Told you so!"

"Don't, Maria. Just don't," he snapped. "I've had it with childish behavior today!"

Maria snorted a laugh that had him shooting a dark look at her. She started laughing even harder as she imagined the time he'd spent with the kids and the next thing she knew she was on the floor. She looked up at him, shaking her head as she brought her laughter under control. "Like father like son, huh?" she asked as she got to her feet.

"Sorry," he muttered as he helped her up. "You okay?"

"Fine," she assured him. "Now you see what I mean. Carradine's just like you, Michael. He can't help using his powers when his temper gets the best of him." She could see that he was thinking seriously about the problem, trying to figure out how to solve it. "Come on, let's get the tree in the house and then you can go sit down and take a break."

"Um, yeah, about that…"

"You didn't pick the tree up?"

"Well, no, I got the tree but, uh…" He cleared his throat and shrugged. "Carey pulled her hair while I was tying it down and the sound she made…"

"Um-hmm, the high-pitched, ear-piercing screech?" She knew how badly that could affect anyone's nervous system so she could just imagine what it had done to him. "Oh, no, what'd you do to the tree?"

"Let's just say the side of the tree on the top of the car no longer has any needles on it."

She smiled knowingly. "We'll go out this afternoon after Mei picks China up and we'll pick another one out."

"Alright, that sounds like a good idea. As long as you promise me you'll never leave me alone with the two of them for hours again."

Maria laughed quietly, not bothering to remind him that he was the one who had come up with that bright idea. "Michael, you were only gone for 45 minutes."

He shook his head. "That's not possible."

She pointed at the clock on the wall behind him and smirked at the look of disbelief on his face when he saw the time.

"Never again," he muttered.


	6. Chapter 6

**Part 6**

As Christmas drew closer Carradine and China maintained their peaceful agreement much to the surprise of their parents. Michael was suspicious of their sudden truce and he refused to go anywhere alone with the two of them. He would watch them as they played outside, always careful to stay in their own yards. The death glares continued, snowballs were flung back and forth along with insults, but the moment they suspected they were being watched they would revert back to their uneasy alliance.

Maria and Mei had spent the time getting to know each other and he could see the difference in his wife. It had been a long time since she'd had another woman around that she could spend time with. They shopped, had lunch together, went out for coffee or to a movie, and he was glad she was able to do that with Mei. He had tried his best to do things like that with her, but shopping was a mind-numbing experience for him and if given the choice she'd pick a chick flick over a good action movie every time.

There were plenty of things they enjoyed doing together and places they liked to go as a couple but there were just some things that were better suited to a friend rather than a spouse. Sports for example. Maria would try to watch games with him but for a woman who could remember the smallest details about things she couldn't seem to grasp sports. Positions, players, rules… she had her own terminology for all of it and none of it made any sense to him. Hugo, on the other hand, was a sports enthusiast and he understood and appreciated everything about it.

The weekend before he and Hugo had gone to watch a game at one of the sports bars and after the game they had ended up at one of the malls so his neighbor could pick up a pair of hockey skates he'd ordered for his daughter. The mall housed the largest sports shopping complex in the city and they had been there for several hours. When they had gotten back home their wives had exchanged knowing looks and just shook their heads at the trunk that was packed full of more gifts for their children.

Christmas was just a few days away when Mei called over to see if Maria could keep China for a couple of hours while she ran out to pick up the last few items on her list. Michael had already gone back to work after lunch and Carradine was in the living room playing when Mei dropped her daughter off.

Carradine was lying on the floor next to Snow, stroking his beloved pet's fur. His head rested on the dog's shoulder as he watched cartoons and he laughed at something on the screen. He lifted his head to look at Mama when she called his name, frowning when he noticed China.

"China's gonna be here for a little while so I want the two of you to behave." She glanced down at the little girl. "That means you too."

"'Kay."

Maria glanced at Snow when the dog thumped his tail a couple of times but made no move to get up. She made a mental note to check on him again in a little while. Like people, dogs had an off day every once in a while but it wasn't normal for Snow to be so lackadaisical.

Carradine and China settled on opposite sides of the living room without a single word passing between them. He sat up a little while later when Snow whined and he leaned over the dog, studying him.

"What's wrong with Snow?" China asked as she edged closer to them.

"Don't know," Carradine mumbled. He leaned over so he was nose to nose with the dog. "What's wrong, Snow?" he asked quietly.

China reached out to pat the dog when he whimpered.

"Maybe he gots a tummy ache."

"Aww, poor Snow. I don't like tummy aches," the little girl stated.

"Me neither," Carradine agreed. "Mama always makes it better though."

"Yeah."

They both looked up when Mama came back into the room and Carradine ran over to grab her hand and drag her over to his dog. "Snow gots a tummy ache, Mama."

"What makes you think that?" Maria asked.

"'Cause I always get a tummy ache when I eat too much candy too."

"Uh-huh," China added, "me too."

"Candy? Carey, did you give him candy?" Maria knelt down next to the dog and checked his nose. Hot and dry instead of cold and wet. She didn't know exactly what that meant, but in addition to Snow's lethargic behavior it couldn't be good.

"Just some chocolate, Mama."

Chocolate. That was bad for dogs. Very bad. "Carey, this's important, sweetie; how much did he eat?"

"Is it bad, Mama? He liked it…"

"Carey, how much?"

Carradine bit his bottom lip and shrugged. "We eated all the chocolate candy in the Christmas bowl in the kitchen."

Maria's eyes widened. "All of it?" She forced herself to stay calm. "I'll go call the vet. You just stay with Snow."

"Is he gonna be okay?"

He looked at China. He had forgotten she was there. She was petting Snow and he nodded when the dog shifted just enough to lick one of the girl's hands. _She couldn't be all bad if Snow liked her, right?_ "Mama can make it better," he said with certainty.

"You're so lucky you get to have a dog," China said after a few minutes.

"I got Snow for last Christmas." He played with the dog's ears absently. "Santa bringed him to me on Christmas. It was in the mornin' an' my grandma was there too."

China's eyes grew large. "You seen Santa?" she asked in a hushed voice.

"Uh-huh, he bringed Daddy a present too."

"I asked Santa for a puppy last year but I didn't get one."

"Which one did ya pick out?"

She shrugged. "I just asked for a puppy when I wrote to Santa."

Carradine shook his head. "You gotta go to see the Santa at the store. It's not the real Santa but all them other Santa's an' elf people, they work for him. Oh, and you gotta pick out the puppy you want so you can tell that Santa 'cause he gots to know which one you want."

"That's what you did?"

"Uh-huh." He turned his head when Mama came back and he sat up when he saw her face. "Is Snow okay, Mama? Is he sick 'cause he eated too much chocolate?"

"Chocolate's very bad for dogs, sweetie. Daddy's coming home to take Snow to see the vet."

"But he liked it," Carradine insisted, not understanding. "He keeped wantin' more."

"I know, Carey, but just because he wants something doesn't mean he should have it."

"But he'll get better." He frowned as he looked at Snow. "Right, Mama?"

Maria didn't know what to tell her little boy. She wanted to say yes, of course, but a lot would depend on how much the dog had eaten and how his body tolerated it. The vet had assured her he would do everything he could but he had warned her of the possible negative outcome. He had said that it was likely that the dog would be sick for the next few hours based on the amount of chocolate she believed Snow may have ingested, but a lot of it would depend on the dog.

"Dr. Tennant will do his best to make sure Snow's okay," she said finally.

Carradine wrapped his arms around Snow and held him tightly. "'m sorry, Snow," he murmured quietly, his words muffled by the dog's coat.

"He'll be okay, Carey," China said as she reached out to touch his arm.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Carradine paced back and forth, his restless movements reminding Maria so much of Michael. Nothing held his attention more than a few minutes at a time and every time a car pulled onto their street he ran to the window, his expression hopeful. She hated the look of disappointment that quickly replaced it as each time the cars either pulled into the driveways of neighboring homes or continued on past their house.

She had been surprised when Mei had come by to pick China up and the little girl had asked to stay and wait for Snow to come home. Her presence had actually seemed to calm Carradine down when he would start getting himself worked up over his pet's absence.

Michael had called about an hour before to let her know that Dr. Tennant wasn't prepared to release the dog just yet. The veterinarian had suggested that they leave Snow at the clinic overnight since the earliest the dog might be able to be released would be later in the evening but Carradine had begged him to not leave Snow alone.

"God, please let that dog be okay," she whispered when Carradine ran to the window once more, his shoulders slumping in disappointment when the car drove past their house.

"Hugo wants to get a dog for China," Mei said quietly, drawing Maria's attention away from her little boy.

"They make good companions," she said with a smile. "And having a pet can definitely help teach them responsibility, but they can also try your patience."

"The two of them have spent hours in the pet stores looking at dogs. Yesterday they went out to a farm to look at puppies. Any day now I expect them to bring one home because he just couldn't say no to her."

"Mama?"

Maria looked down when Carradine leaned against her right leg. "Carey, Daddy will call as soon as he has something to tell us, sweetie."

"But maybe he forgot."

"He didn't forget."

"Well…" His left foot was constantly in motion as he kicked the floor. "Maybe he losted his phone like he did when we was 'posed to go to the zoo, 'member, Mama? Then when he finded it he dropped it an' broked it. Maybe he did that an' now he can't call."

Maria wasn't sure exactly why that story was relevant but it didn't matter because the phone rang before she could respond.

"Is it Daddy, Mama?"

She was checking the caller ID when Carradine reached out and grabbed the phone from her, plucking at it and accidentally ending the call. "Carey, stop it. Be still." She hit the call button to call Michael back and she grabbed her son's hand when he tried to get the phone again.

"Mama, is it 'bout Snow? Is he okay? Is he comin' home?"

Maria sighed when she stood, trying to hear what Michael was saying over Carradine's rapid-fire questions.

"Mama, what's Daddy sayin'? Can I talk to him? Can I ask him if Snow's all better now?" He grabbed a handful of her shirt, tugging on it as he tried to get her attention. "Mama, please!"

"Carradine, hush," she said, her tone silencing him. "No, go on, Michael… Um-hmm…"

Carradine was hopping up and down on the balls of his feet, sucking on his bottom lip as he tried to stay quiet so Mama could talk to Daddy. He froze when he heard her say his name and he held his hands up when she held the phone out to him. "Daddy, you can hear me?" he asked as soon as he had the phone to his ear. "Are you comin' home now? Is Snow okay? Did the dog doctor make him all better?"

Maria accepted the phone back from him after he talked to Michael for several minutes and she held it to her chest when he dragged his feet all the way over to the spot he favored. He sat down, arms crossed over his knees as he stared at the floor. He was worried about Snow and scared that he wasn't going to see the dog again after being told that Daddy wasn't bringing his beloved pet home right away.

She watched as China observed Carradine for several moments before joining him, sitting beside him, shoulder to shoulder as they bonded silently. She talked with Michael for a few minutes before disconnecting from the call. Mei stayed for a while longer before taking China and going home to start dinner since Hugo would be home soon.

Carradine waited until they were alone before he got up and ran across the room to throw himself into his mother's arms.


	7. Chapter 7

**Part 7**

It was several hours later when Michael pulled into the driveway, dropping his head back against the headrest and inhaling deeply as his hands clenched on the steering wheel. He finally uncurled his fingers and reached up to rub his face tiredly before pushing the door open and getting out of the car. He stretched before opening the back door and leaning inside to carefully lift the exhausted dog up into his arms. He pushed the door shut with his hip and walked up to the front door, quietly rapping his knuckles against it to let Maria know he was there.

She opened the door immediately, ushering him inside and looking up at him before leaning down to look into the dog's eyes. "You're a very bad dog," she said, shaking her head at him. She ruffled his hair and smiled before stretching up to give her husband a kiss.

"Where's Carey?" Michael asked.

"He finally fell asleep. He's been pacing the floor since you left the house earlier this afternoon. I had just about given up on getting him to lay down when he passed out on the couch. I just took him to his room a few minutes ago."

"The dog's been cleaned up but he smells like a hospital room."

"I don't think Carey will care. C'mon." She led the way down to their little boy's bedroom, pushing his door open so that Michael could carry Snow inside.

He carefully laid the dog down on the foot of the bed as Maria sat down next to Carradine, pressing a kiss to his forehead as she whispered his name.

"Mama?" he mumbled sleepily. "Wha's goin' on?"

"Someone's here to see you, sweetie… look."

Carradine sat up, rubbing his eyes and blinking blearily as he looked around. "Daddy, you're home!" His eyes landed on Snow and he hurried to scramble to his dog's side, wrapping his arms around the animal's neck and hugging him. Snow's tail was wagging like crazy as he licked his young master's face. "You're all better," he said excitedly. "You can't have no more chocolate, Snow, 'cause it's bad for you."

"Take it easy on him, buddy," Michael said. "He's had a long day too and he's pretty worn out."

"'Kay, Daddy." He shifted over to sit up on his knees and throw his arms around Daddy's neck. "You made him all better an' he's happy 'gain. Me too, Daddy," he mumbled against his shoulder as he leaned over to pet Snow.

It took a little while before they were able to get Carradine down for the night but once he and Snow were settled they left them alone and went to their own room.

Michael dropped down on the bed, leaning forward to brace his elbows on his knees. "I didn't think Dr. Tennant was ever gonna fix that damned dog," he muttered as he dropped his face in his hands. "I just kept thinkin' what am I gonna do if I have to come home without the dog? How would I tell him if the dog got worse and they couldn't do anything for him?"

Maria rubbed his shoulder as she sat down beside him. "The dog's fine, Michael."

"He should be for what we just paid the vet," he grumbled. He flopped back on the bed and stared up at the ceiling.

Maria stretched out beside him and reached up to brush her fingers over the frown lines creasing his forehead. He was relieved that their little boy's dog was okay but having to rely on someone else to make sure Carradine wasn't hurt had just about killed him. Their son worshipped the ground Michael walked on and the thought of disappointing him wasn't one that he cared to entertain.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Maria was vacuuming up pine needles around the Christmas tree the next morning while Carradine and Snow sat on the window seat staring outside. The two had been even more inseparable than usual but she was certain that was to be expected after the scare they'd had the day before. She finished cleaning in the living room and was putting the vacuum away when her little boy came up behind her.

"Mama?"

"What's up, sweetie?"

Carradine sighed loudly after several long moments and lifted his head to look at Mama. "Can we maybe go over to China's house so she can see Snow's okay?"

Maria paused and turned to look at her little boy. "You want to take Snow over to see China," she said slowly.

"Um-hmm, 'cause she was scared for him too. But now Daddy got him all better an' I gotta show her he's okay."

"Well, alright. Let me go call China's mother and see if she's busy."

Carradine wrinkled his nose. "She don't got nothin' to do, Mama."

"Um-hmm, well, it'd be impolite to not call first. You and Snow go play in your room and I'll give Mei a call to see if they're free." She watched them as they walked down the hall and she smiled as she shook her head. Who knew that Carradine's dog would be the catalyst that would bring the two little combatants together?

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Mei checked on China before going to answer the door, knowing that her neighbor had arrived with her little boy and his dog in tow. She had been surprised when Maria had told her that Carradine wanted to know if he could bring Snow over to show China that the dog was alright. She was thankful that the dog seemed to have provided their children with a means to end their fighting because the constant bickering was driving their parents to the brink of insanity.

She pulled the front door open, greeting Maria and smiling down at Carradine. "How are you today, Carey?"

"Snow's okay," he announced with a wide grin. "Can we come in now?" He turned to look up at Mama when she cleared her throat. "I asked, Mama!" he said, rubbing his right ear. He chewed on his bottom lip for a minute, thinking. "May we come in?"

Mei chuckled and stepped back, motioning for them to enter. "Impatient this morning, aren't you?"

"Where's China?"

She pointed to the right. "She's in the living room. Go on inside." She smiled at Maria and they moved to stand in the hallway just out of sight of their children. "He is his father's son."

"Yes, he is. His paternity will never be in question."

Carradine's right hand rested on Snow's back as they paused just inside the living room. China was sitting on her knees in front of the coffee table, busy coloring. "Hey, look," he said by way of greeting.

China's head shot up and her eyes widened when she saw Snow sitting next to Carradine. "He's all better!" she shouted excitedly and scrambled to her feet. She ran across the room and hugged the dog, laughing happily when he danced around and barked. She leaned back to ruffle the dog's fur as she looked up at Carradine. "How'd he get all better?"

"Daddy made him better. Told you he could do anything," he said proudly. "He bringed him home last night an' Snow was happy again." He petted the dog's head and stood back to point at the animal. "See? He smiles when he's happy."

China stood back to study the dog's expression and realized that he did indeed appear to be smiling. "Wow," she whispered, "your daddy really can do anything. We gotta make him not to tell Santa that we was bad."

"He's not gonna do that," Carradine denied confidently.

"Why not?"

"'Cause I heard Mama tell him he couldn't do that." He smiled. "Daddy always does what Mama says."

"Wanna color?"

"Okay."

They settled down next to each other at the coffee table with Snow lying on the floor between them. Carradine looked at the decorated Christmas tree sitting in one corner before glancing at the stereo.

"You don't got no Christmas music?"

"Yeah, Dad's got all kinds of it. Does your daddy know any songs?"

Carradine nodded. "But he just knows one. He teached me last year when my Grandma came to see us for Christmas. You know 'Grandma Got Runned Over By a Reindeer'?"

China's eyes widened. "Your grandma got runned over by a reindeer?" she asked in shock.

"No, dummy," he laughed, "that's the song Daddy teached me!"

"I don't know that one. My dad teached me one 'bout 'Dominic the Christmas Donkey'."

"Huh-uh, there's no Christmas donkey."

"Yes huh, there is too." She got to her feet and ran over to the stereo and started pushing buttons.

Maria and Mei exchanged a look as the kids listened to the song and before long they were singing and braying right along with it.

"I see your husband has horrible taste in music too," Maria said sympathetically.

"Yes, and it isn't just Christmas music," Mei agreed. The children were getting along and learning each other's favorite Christmas songs, which meant they'd be singing them constantly. "I think tonight would be an excellent night to go to a movie, don't you, Maria?"

She laughed conspiratorially. Last year Carradine had driven Michael up the walls singing 'Jingle Bells' and his solution to that had been teaching their son the words to 'Grandma Got Run Over By a Reindeer'. A song that had been with perfect timing when her mom had come for a visit and Carradine had proudly shared his new song with her. _Revenge truly was a dish best served cold,_ she thought with a wicked grin. _Now, not only would he have Carradine singing he'd have the added joy of China singing that obnoxious donkey Christmas song too._

"Mei, I think that's a great idea. I'm sure our husbands deserve the opportunity to enjoy their children sharing their new songs with them." And while Michael was trying to survive without pulling his hair out one piece at a time, she'd be at the movies enjoying a girls' night out!

The two women decided to continue their conversation over coffee while their children spent time coloring and singing with Snow happily watching over them.


	8. Chapter 8

**Part 8**

Christmas Eve morning arrived with six inches of fresh snow on the ground and Carradine hugged Snow's neck excitedly as he pointed outside. "Look, Snow!"

The dog barked happily, reacting to his master's tone as he danced in place.

"C'mon, we gotta go get Daddy up." He knew Daddy didn't have to go back to work until after Christmas and he had promised they would go sledding today. They ran down the hall to Mama and Daddy's room and he reached up to grab the doorknob with both hands to turn it and push the door inward.

The sound of little feet and paws pounding across the bedroom floor had Maria rushing out of the bathroom in time to see Carradine and Snow jump up on the bed. "Carey, no! Snow, down!" she called loudly enough to get their attention before they could pounce on Michael.

He had gotten home late the night before after being called in because of a robbery on campus. She had fallen asleep waiting up for him and when he had gotten home well after midnight he had carried her to bed and she had every intention of letting him sleep in this morning.

"But Mama, Daddy's 'posed to get up 'cause we're gonna go sleddin' today," Carradine complained.

"Daddy needs a little more sleep, sweetie. He was up very late last night."

Carradine rolled his eyes when he saw Mama look at Daddy and smile. _Why did they always smile when one of them slept late?_ "Well, when's he gonna get up?"

Maria laughed at his impatient question as she ushered him out of the room. "Let's go make breakfast. I'll bet by the time it's ready Daddy'll be awake."

"An' then we'll go sleddin'?" He looked up at Mama when she started pulling bacon and eggs out of the refrigerator. "Are you gonna go too?" He wrapped his hands over the edge of the counter and rested his chin on his fingers. "It's gonna be cold outside."

She controlled the urge to smile at his lack of subtlety. He was getting to the age where he wanted to do things without her and while that made her a little sad she knew it was a part of growing up. "No, sweetie, I think I might do a little last-minute shopping."

Carradine bit his bottom lip. "Are you sad 'cause you can't go?"

"What's Mama sad about?" Michael asked, yawning and scratching his chest as he walked over to the coffee pot.

"Daddy!" Carradine shouted and ran over to him. "Mama said you had to sleep more 'cause you was up a long time last night."

Michael caught his little boy under his arms and lifted him up to sit on the counter while he fixed a cup of coffee. He turned to hook his arm around his wife's waist and pull her close for a good morning kiss. "Whose fault was that?" he murmured against her lips.

"Completely your fault," she whispered. She shivered when he laughed, the gruff sound accompanied by a smug grin.

Carradine tugged on Daddy's arm. It was stretched out in front of him and holding onto the counter to keep the little boy from falling. "Daddy," he called, exasperated.

"What's up, buddy?" Michael asked, reluctantly releasing Maria so he could turn his attention to their son.

"Are we gonna go sleddin' soon?"

"After breakfast, Carey."

"What if someone else gets all the good snow?" He stuck his bottom lip out.

Michael grinned at the question. Carradine loved to be the first one to put tracks on the big hill behind their house when it snowed. "No one's gonna put tracks up there first, okay? We both need to eat before we go out to play." He glanced up when the telephone started to ring. "Want me to get it?"

Maria rolled her eyes at him. She was cooking breakfast and he wanted to know if he should be the one to go in the other room to answer the phone? "No, just keep an eye on the bacon."

"Okay."

She shook her head and hurried to get the phone before the caller hung up. She was smirking when she came back a few minutes later and the smirk only got bigger when she caught her husband watching her warily.

"What?" he asked slowly.

"Hugo has to go in to work for an emergency meeting."

"Uh-huh."

"Well, he was planning to run out for a few _things_," she said meaningfully, "and now Mei's gonna have to go and she doesn't want to make that drive by herself since she's not comfortable with the snow and ice just yet."

"Huh-uh, no way."

Carradine wrinkled his nose. He was trying to follow their conversation but sometimes Mama and Daddy were just confusing. "Wha's that mean, Daddy?"

"That means China will be spending the day with you two boys," Mama said as she poured the egg mixture into the pan.

"And Snow too," Carradine said insistently.

Maria smiled at her husband. "Yes, and Snow too."

"Carey, why don't you go get dressed while I help Mama get breakfast finished, okay?" Michael suggested as he set Carradine on the floor again.

"'Kay, Daddy."

"Maria, I think the word _never_ is fairly definitive and self-explanatory," he said as soon as their son was out of the room. "You're not leavin' me alone with the two of them."

"Oh, Michael, they're friends now."

He snorted derisively. "No."

"Alright, fine."

He watched her grind up several ingredients that would make the eggs spicy. _Alright, fine_ meant exactly the opposite of what it sounded like. She mixed the ingredients into the scrambled eggs and started to stir them. "Maria, you're the one who said tryin' to handle the two of them on my own was a mistake. And you were right," he said, going with a new tactic.

"_That_ is your argument?" she snorted. "Really?"

"Hey, I'm just agreein' with you!"

"Michael," she turned, waving the spatula and sending bits of scrambled egg flying, "the two of them are getting along now. You can handle them for a couple of hours until Hugo gets home."

He made a face at her. "Now you're usin' the 'he can handle the kids better' argument? You're gonna have to do better than that, babe."

Snow hurried to lick up the food particles that had landed on the floor.

Maria smiled. "No good deed goes unrewarded."

"No good…" his hands shot up in the air. "You realize even I know that the correct phrase is 'no good deed goes unpunished', right? What does that even mean?"

She rolled her eyes at him. "Why don't you just focus on what my phrase means."

"And…?"

"Use your imagination."

"I have a _very_ active and detailed imagination," he growled.

She smacked his backside as she passed him on her way to get the orange juice. "Then put it to good use while you're setting the table."

Yeah, rewards were good and all, but he just knew he was going to regret taking both kids on again.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

China walked beside Carradine as they followed his daddy up the big hill behind their house. She wasn't sure why they were so excited about sledding, but Carradine had assured her it would be fun. Snow ran back and forth, making circles around them as he danced in the snow.

"Did you tell the Santa which puppy you wanted?" Carradine asked.

"Yeah, but what if your daddy didn't tell him we been good?" She worried her bottom lip between her teeth. She had done everything Carradine had said was necessary to ensure that Santa knew exactly which puppy she wanted, but would it matter if his daddy was a big meanie and didn't tell Santa they were good?

"Daddy!"

Michael glanced back over his shoulder to look at the kids. "What's up, buddy?"

"China gots a question."

Her eyes widened and she looked at him like he had just eaten the last cookie. "Why'd you tell him that?" she hissed.

Michael turned and crouched down in front of them, making them stop in their tracks. "What's on your mind, China?"

"Well…" She kicked at the snow, unintentionally sending it all over him and her mouth dropped open in surprise.

He brushed the snow from his chin and smiled reassuringly. So far the kids had gotten along really well and he didn't want to do anything that might upset that balance. "You can ask your question."

"Well, it's just… Carey told me what I gotta do to get my puppy for Christmas an' I did all that. I picked my puppy out an' I told the Santa which one she is an' where she's at an' stuff, ya know, just in case he needed to know that stuff…"

Michael cleared his throat. _This was like pullin' teeth,_ he thought.

"China just wants to know did you tell Santa that we was good 'cause she really wants her puppy really bad, Daddy," Carradine blurted out.

"Oh, that's all?" he asked. Hugo had told him a couple of days earlier that he had already purchased the Collie and would be picking it up on Christmas Eve after they finally got China down for the night. "Yeah, I told Santa you'd been good."

She launched herself at him and threw her arms around his neck, squeezing his windpipe. "Yay!" she squealed, nearly splitting his eardrum.

_Maria owed him big for this._

"Me too, Daddy?" Carradine demanded.

"Yeah, buddy, you too," he promised.


	9. Chapter 9

**Author's Note: **A few lines in this part were borrowed from "How the Grinch Stole Christmas."

**Part 9**

Maria unlocked the front door late that afternoon and turned her head, listening for screaming, yelling, or any other sounds of discontent. When she had called to check on Michael and the kids around noon he had been making lunch. He had assured her he had everything under control and for her to be careful coming back home. He hadn't even seemed to be the slightest bit upset that Hugo had gotten caught up at work and wasn't going to make it home early as he had anticipated.

"It's very quiet," Mei whispered.

"Um-hmm, too quiet," Maria agreed.

They crept down the hallway, peering into the kitchen and Maria grimaced at the mess they had made in there. "How many dishes did he really need to use to make grilled cheese sandwiches and soup?" she muttered under her breath. It looked like he'd used every pot, pan and dish in the house.

When they reached the living room she leaned against the doorframe and smiled at the sight that greeted them. Michael was stretched out in the recliner with the kids wedged into the chair on either side of him and all three were sound asleep. She glanced at the clock and shook her head at the hour. It was too late for the kids to be down for a nap and in combination with it being Christmas Eve any chance of getting Carradine into bed early now was nonexistent.

Snow poked his head around the edge of the chair and Maria rolled her eyes when she saw that he had been sleeping under the footrest again. "I'd think you'd have learned by now to not sleep under there," Maria chastised the animal. She snapped her fingers and the dog reluctantly crawled out and stretched lazily before flopping down beside the chair.

"I think it's going to be a long night," Mei said as she took in the scene before them. She shook her head when Maria glanced at her. "Hugo will do the same thing… and then he will go to bed while she's still too wound up to sleep later in the evening."

Maria laughed at that. "Oh, Michael won't be going to bed until Carey's down for the night," she assured her new friend. She crossed the room and leaned over the back of the recliner to look down at her husband. "Michael…" She traced her fingertip over his ear and bit back a laugh when he made a face at the slight disturbance. "C'mon, it's time for you to get up."

Michael opened his eyes and blinked blearily as he turned his head to look around the room. He groaned when he saw the low light in the room and realized that it indicated late afternoon. His gaze dropped to the kids, sleeping heavily against him, and he winced. "Damn, I was just tryin' to get 'em calmed down after lunch, I didn't think they'd fall asleep."

She helped Mei get China up and awake and they bundled her up into her coat and boots. The little girl rubbed her eyes sleepily and came back to hug Michael before being herded out of the house by her mother.

"You three have a busy day?" Maria asked, smiling as she settled into the spot China had vacated. She reached over to brush Carradine's hair back off of his forehead and she smiled when he ducked his head and buried his face against Michael's side.

"I don't think there's an inch of untouched snow on that hill," he murmured as he kissed her.

"No? Kids couldn't get you off the hill, huh?" She laughed and nodded as she carded her fingers through his hair. "Um-hmm, your secret's out… I know once you get out there you're an even bigger kid than the kids are." She reached over to tug on Carradine's shirt. "I also know we're never gonna get him into bed early tonight."

"We can probably do somethin' to wear him out…" he looked at their little boy, "right?"

Maria snorted as she got to her feet. "It's almost five o'clock, Michael, _and_ it's Christmas Eve. We'll be lucky to get him down by midnight."

"Sorry."

"Oh, you're gonna be sorry," she said with a smile. "Because you're not going to bed until he does. I'm gonna get dinner started and you can get him up."

He nodded and sat up a little straighter, nudging Carradine to wake him up. "C'mon, buddy, time to get up."

"No, Daddy," the little boy whined and burrowed closer against him.

"We gotta get up, buddy. Snow's hungry, Mama's makin' dinner, an' later we've gotta make cookies too, remember?"

Carradine lifted his head, revealing hair that was going in every possible direction. "We gotta make Grandma's reindeer treats too, Daddy. You 'member them, right?"

"Um-hmm, but we've gotta get up before we can do all that."

The little boy clambered over the side of the recliner and turned to run into the kitchen with Snow scrambling to catch up.

Three hours later Carradine was still bouncing off of the walls, infused with excess energy after the afternoon nap that had successfully recharged his batteries. Michael was sitting on a stool he had pulled up to the counter, elbow propped on a clear spot on the flour-dusted surface and his chin resting in his hand as he yawned. He jumped when Maria smacked his leg with the spatula in her hand.

"Ow, what was that for?"

"That was for having the nerve to yawn."

He shrugged and watched her remove the cookies from the cookie pan, sliding them onto the waiting plate. He waited until she turned to put the next pan in the oven before he snatched one of the cookies. He was just about to shove it in his mouth to get rid of the evidence when she spoke without ever looking at him.

"You're gonna burn the hell outta your mouth if you do that," she warned as she slid the pan onto the rack and closed the oven door. "Finally, the last batch." She straightened up and reached back to press her fingertips against her back as she stretched.

Michael dropped the cookie on the counter and reached out to take her hand, tugging her to stand between his knees. "Why don't you take a break," he suggested as his fingers took the place of hers and he sought out the knotted muscles.

"God, you're so good at that," she groaned against his neck as she leaned into him. "I'll be finished in here soon enough and then we can try to occupy him with a movie or something. Why don't you and Carey take Snow for a walk while I finish up in here?"

"We have a yard for a reason."

"And a walk might just help tire Carey out a little bit."

He thought about that for a moment. "Good point. Alright, I'll have him pick out a couple movies when we get back."

Maria nodded and smiled, knowing that he was sure their son would fall asleep during a movie but she knew better. There was no reason for her to shatter his illusion though. He would find out soon enough.

Michael kept his stride short so Carradine could walk beside him at a comfortable pace and he looked around at the decorated houses and yards on either side of them. His mind wandered to the others and he wondered if Isabel was driving Kyle crazy again this year, organizing everything down to the last detail. He couldn't say he missed her holiday insanity, but he did miss her. He was glad she and Kyle had stayed together even though they weren't a couple because neither of them deserved to be alone.

Max and Liz would be spending their second Christmas with their own son and he smiled a little as he remembered Carradine's second Christmas and how disappointed he had been when his little boy hadn't really understood what the big deal was. Max would have to deal with that this year and he wished he could be there to tell him it would get better.

"Daddy?" Carradine tugged on Daddy's hand when he didn't respond to him. "Daddy!"

Michael looked down at his son. "What's up, buddy?"

"Is Mama sad 'cause Grandma couldn't come for Christmas?"

"She's a little sad about it, but she's okay. She understands that Grandma couldn't come again this year." He glanced around, checking to make sure Snow was still close by.

"Will Santa bring her somethin' since she's kinda sad?"

"I think there's a very good chance she'll get somethin' special… maybe not from Santa though." He patted Carradine's shoulder. "Your present will make her smile, buddy."

The little boy smiled proudly. He had picked it out all by himself. "You buyed somethin' for Mama, Daddy?"

He smiled and shrugged one shoulder. "We'll see tomorrow."

Is it almost tomorrow yet?"

Michael smiled and shook his head. "We've got a little ways to go, Carey."

Carradine held onto Daddy's hand tightly as he jumped over a frozen puddle. "Is Santa comin' soon?"

"Not until after you're asleep."

"But I'm not tired, Daddy."

"Not even a little?"

"Huh-uh."

"Well, maybe you will be after we watch a couple of your movies."

"Can we watch Rudolph first?"

"I don't know, buddy. Last year you didn't like the scary Bumble."

"He's not scary this year, Daddy. I'm bigger now," he stated matter-of-factly.

"Okay, we'll watch that one first." He grabbed Carradine under the arms and swung him up to settle him on his shoulders as he whistled for Snow to come back to them. "Let's see if we can talk Mama into makin' some of that sweet an' spicy popcorn she makes sometimes, whatcha think?"

The little boy agreed enthusiastically and high-fived Daddy when he held his hand up.

Carradine ran across the room and jumped up on the couch between Mama and Daddy when the abominable snowman roared onto the screen. Snow was seconds behind him and he flopped down across their laps and buried his muzzle in the corner of the couch.

"I thought the Bumble wasn't gonna be scary this year," Michael teased as he tickled the little boy.

"He's not scary with you an' Mama here," he whispered.

"Oh, gotcha."

Maria ran her fingers through Snow's coat as she fought back a yawn. It was just a little after nine o'clock and it had been a very long day. Carradine was too wired to sleep but he had been fairly stationary since Michael had put the movie in a little while ago.

"It tomorrow closer now?"

She looked at him and couldn't hold back a smile. "It's still gonna be a while, Carey."

He sighed heavily. "It's takin' too long, Mama." His head jerked to the side when he heard something outside and he scrambled down from the couch to run to the window. His excitement dimmed when he shoved the curtains aside and turned his head back and forth and his eyes landed on the old man across the street shoveling his driveway. He wrinkled his nose as he watched him for a few moments and then he turned to go back to the couch, dragging his feet all the way.

"C'mon, buddy," Michael said as he leaned forward and picked Carradine up, settling him against the cushions between him and Maria.

Carradine watched the movie for a little while before he started to kick his left leg out. "Daddy, how come it's takin' so long for Santa to get here?"

"It just seems like a long time 'cause tomorrow's Christmas and you're excited about it." He glanced at Maria over their little boy's head as he grabbed the foot bouncing against his knee.

"Carey, I think you should go get into your pjs while Daddy puts the next movie in."

"Okay, Mama."

Michael picked up the stack of movies Carradine had picked out and placed on the coffee table. "Which movie did you wanna watch next?"

The little boy paused in the doorway. "Can we watch the Grinch one?" He bit his bottom lip as he held onto the doorframe. He nodded when Daddy held up one of the movies, the colorful cover depicting the animated version of the movie.

"You want a cup of coffee?" Maria asked after Carradine and Snow had disappeared down the hall.

He stretched his arms over his head before getting up to switch the movies out. "With a couple cookies?"

She smiled. "You know if he sees you eating a cookie he's gonna want one too and he's still winding down from that nap."

"He's startin' to look a little tired." He put the movie back on the shelf and turned to look at her. "Right? Just a little bit?"

She smiled at his hopeful tone. "Um-hmm, sure he is. I'll grab our coffee and be right back."

Half an hour later they were no closer to getting Carradine into bed and Michael wasn't helping the situation. They were on their second viewing of 'How the Grinch Stole Christmas' and now the two of them were singing along with it. She smiled and shook her head when her husband shifted to sit on the edge of the couch as they reached the middle of the song.

"_Your heart is full of unwashed socks_

_Your soul is full of gunk_

_Mr. Grinch!_

_The three words that best describe you are as follows and I quote:_

_Stink! Stank! Stunk!"_

Carradine was in his lap, leaning back against his daddy's chest and he turned his head to bury his face against Michael's shoulder as he collapsed in a fit of giggles. His eyes sparkled with happiness as he looked at Mama and halfway through a laugh he yawned.

Michael glanced at her over Carradine's head as he settled back against the cushions and started humming along with the music. Snow was dozing next to Maria, his eyes opening every once in a while to check on things before closing them again and going right back to sleep. He smiled when she glanced at their son and then back at him, nodding to let him know that their little boy was starting to get sleepy.

When the movie ended Maria got up and switched it out with another one, this time choosing something geared more towards adults but safe for Carradine to view. It wasn't filled with action so as he began to wind down he lost interest; yawning became more frequent, he started rubbing his eyes and moving around in an effort to stay awake, but before long he lost the battle and his eyelids started to slide closed. It was just about the time when the veracity of Santa Claus was being called into question that they realized he was sound asleep.

Michael smiled as he looked down at their little boy, limbs everywhere as he slept stretched out across their laps. "Finally," he whispered.

"Hey, don't look at me."

"Yeah, yeah, I know… I'm the one who let him take that nap." He leaned over to kiss her. "I'm gonna go put him to bed and then we'll finish the movie just to make sure he's down for the night. Once it's over we can get his presents put out and then you can put me to bed."

"Poor baby," Maria murmured with exaggerated sympathy. "Are you tired?"

"Not _that_ tired." He carefully eased out from under Carradine and Maria reached out to tuck the blanket around him so it wouldn't drag the floor and trip Michael up. He waited while she pressed a kiss to his tousled head before he crouched down and gathered their little boy up in his arms.

Snow jumped down and walked beside him as he carried his little boy down the hall to his bedroom. He hopped up on the foot of the bed and turned around several times before finally settling down to sleep.

Michael pulled one corner of the covers back and laid Carradine down, holding his breath when the little boy sighed softly. He tucked him in and leaned back to snap the switch on the little nightlight plugged into the wall.

"Daddy?"

He turned back to lean his elbows on the bed when he heard the quiet whisper. "What's up, Carey?" he asked quietly.

"Santa's comin' soon?"

"Very soon, buddy. He's just waitin' to make sure you're really asleep."

"'Kay, Daddy." Carradine smiled tiredly and rolled over, wrapping his arms around a stuffed animal as he closed his eyes once more.

Michael leaned over and pressed a kiss to his little boy's temple, brushing his hair back and watching him for a moment before getting up. He scratched the dog behind his ear before pointing at Carradine. "Watch him." He walked over to the door and pulled it to, leaning against the frame for a moment to watch his son. "G'night, Carey," he said in a hushed voice. "I love you, little man."

He rested his forehead against the door, waiting for it. "Love you too, Daddy." It was faint and slurred but he heard it and he smiled as he pulled the door nearly closed.


	10. Chapter 10

**Part 10**

Christmas morning came earlier than his parents would have liked and was announced with great joy as Carradine ran into their bedroom with Snow hot on his heels. Between his excited shouting and the dog's enthusiastic barking there was no way to sleep through the racket in spite of Michael's attempt to bury his head under a pillow.

"Mama, Mama, you gotta come see," he insisted as he grabbed her arm with both hands and shook.

"We're on our way, Carey," she mumbled.

"You sure? 'Cause you might go back to sleep." He made a face. "Was you an' Daddy both up late?"

"Be there in a minute, buddy," Michael rasped as he reached up to rub one hand over his face. "Go let the dog out for a few minutes."

"I already done that, Daddy." He ran around to Daddy's side of the bed and leaned in close, their faces barely an inch apart. "You gotta see all the presents Santa left… it's a lot, Daddy!"

"Made out like a bandit, huh?"

Carradine wrinkled his nose as he tilted his head to one side. "Wha's that mean?"

"It means Santa's elves worked overtime to put lots of presents under the tree for you."

"Oh. Yeah, he putted lots of presents in there, Daddy." He wrapped both hands around Daddy's wrist and tugged. "C'mon, I seened one for you too."

"One, huh?"

"Well… you can play with my toys too." He sighed impatiently. "But we gotta go open 'em first, Daddy." He hauled himself up on the bed and reached over to shake Mama. "If we don't go then Santa might think I don't like 'em an' he might take 'em back."

Maria opened her eyes and glanced at her husband before giving her son her full attention. "Where would you get an idea like that?"

"China's Daddy said so."

"What?" Michael shook his head. "When did Hugo tell you that?"

"He said mornin' when I letted Snow back in an' he said it was really 'portant to open a present fast or Santa might take 'em back." He shook his head as his expression turned serious. "But he said I couldn't do it 'til you was up 'cause Santa likes daddies to be 'wake too." He glanced at Mama. "An' mama's too, Mama, but he said Santa really wanted Daddy to be 'wake." He glanced between his parents. "Are you 'wake?"

"We're awake. Go push the button on the coffee pot, little man. We'll be there in just a minute."

"You promise?"

Maria sat up and gave her little boy a kiss before patting his backside to get him moving. "Go on, we're right behind you."

Michael wrapped an arm around Carradine's waist and dropped a kiss on his head before rolling over to set him down on the floor. "You heard Mama, get movin'."

"C'mon, Snow, we gotta go find which present we're gonna open first!" The two of them ran out of the bedroom and down the hall to the kitchen.

"That's what you get," Maria said as she shook her head at him.

"How is Hugo's weird sense of humor my fault?" he asked with a roll of his eyes.

"This's payback for it taking hours to get China into bed last night."

"Yeah, yeah, I know." He came up on one elbow and smiled down at her as his fingers brushed against her cheek. "And who gets the blame for you puttin' me to bed so late last night?"

"You do. We could've been in bed hours earlier if you hadn't let Carey sleep so late yesterday afternoon." She grinned impishly at him. "However, I take full responsibility for you not getting to sleep until," she glanced at the bedside clock, "two hours ago."

"Wow, two whole hours," he mocked. "Lucky for you I don't need that much sleep."

Maria pressed her hand against his shoulder when he leaned in to kiss her, covering her mouth as she yawned widely. "Yeah, lucky for me." She smiled teasingly and shook her head. "You obviously passed that on to Carey. Too bad you can't just hand it out."

"Mama! Daddy! You gotta hurry!" Carradine hollered from the living room.

He laughed as he kissed her. "Time to get up, babe. We've got a five-year-old that's about to burst from the anticipation."

Carradine looked up when his parents finally came into the room and he paused in the process of shaking a colorful package as hard as he could in an effort to determine its contents. "Look, Mama, I maked out like a bandaid."

"You made out like a…" she smiled as she sat on the couch and recalled Michael's earlier comment. "Yes, you did."

Michael came in with two cups of coffee and settled down next to Maria, handing her one of the cups before placing his on the end table. His right arm rested along the back of the couch, his hand rubbing her shoulder before he tugged her up against his side.

"Now, Daddy?" Carradine asked impatiently. He was sitting on his knees, feet crossed at the ankle as he bounced up and down eagerly.

"Let 'er rip, Carey."

Maria laughed when their little boy looked over the mountain of presents, trying to figure out which one he should open first. He crawled around for a minute, pulling things out and shaking them before he finally picked one out. He ripped the paper off and Snow grabbed hold of the ribbon, giving him some help when it refused to come off all the way.

Carradine gasped audibly when the paper ripped free and he saw the box with the helmet inside. "Mama, Daddy, look! It's a real one." He fought with the box, trying his hardest to get it open.

"Good grief, Michael, what'd you use to seal that box shut?" Maria whispered.

"Just tape."

"Um-hmm."

"Here, buddy, why don't you hand that over and lemme get that open for you," Michael said as he leaned forward and held one hand out.

"Okay, Daddy." He carried the box over to Daddy and he looked at Mama. "Do you want your presents now, Mama?"

"That would be nice, sweetie, thank you."

He scurried back over to the tree and dug around for the packages he had seen for Mama and Daddy. "I din't find nothin' from Santa," he said as he put a red envelope and a wide box on her lap. He ran back for two more and put them on the couch between his parents. "These ones is from me," he said proudly.

Maria set the envelope and box, her and Michael's gifts to each other, aside and reached for the small present that her son had obviously wrapped himself. "Wow, that's a nice job on the wrapping, Carey. I think next year you should help Daddy with his wrapping."

Michael popped the last piece of tape and pulled the top flap up before holding the box out to Carradine. He watched his son take the box, lifting the helmet out and running his fingers over it reverently for several moments before putting it on. "I'm gonna be a big hockey player one day, huh, Daddy?"

"You can be anything you wanna be, Carey. It's all just a matter of hard work and how much you want it."

"Are you gonna open your presents now? 'Cause I got lots more I gotta open."

Michael laughed and reached for his son's gift to him. "I guess we'd better open them up then, huh? We don't want Santa thinkin' you don't want all those presents." He ripped the paper off of what was obviously a box, prepared to express the appropriate surprise for whatever was inside. His eyebrows shot up when he saw the picture of a drill on the box. "Carey, this's great, buddy."

"You like it a lot, Daddy?"

"Yeah, I like it a lot." He hugged his little boy. "Thanks, little man."

"Welcome, Daddy," he said with a smile. He leaned back against Daddy's chest as he watched Mama open her present. "Want me to help, Mama?" he asked after a minute.

"Mama's just takin' her time 'cause she saves the paper."

Carradine wrinkled his nose. "Why?"

"It's a Mom thing."

Maria lifted out the silver picture frame with a baseball theme etched into it and her fingertips traced over the photograph of Michael, Carradine and Snow behind the glass. Her eyes misted over as she looked up at her son. "It's a wonderful gift, sweetie." She leaned forward to give him a hug and kissed his cheek.

"I picked it out all by myself. Daddy an' me went together, but I picked it out."

"It's a wonderful choice, thank you."

"Welcome, Mama. Okay, now I gotta go open more of mine." He scurried back to the tree and he and Snow began plowing through the gifts, ripping paper off and getting into his hockey gear piece by piece.

Michael had opened up the box and he was admiring the drill. "You like the frame?" he asked as he glanced at her.

"Um-hmm. How many times did you have to redirect him?" She smiled knowingly and laughed when he shrugged one shoulder.

"I knew I was gonna have to give him a little guidance when we were in the hardware store and he found a toilet seat with purple flowers on it that he just knew you'd love."

Maria rolled her eyes. "Thank you for that." She could just imagine working up an expression of excitement over a toilet seat. "There is no doubt Carey's your son."

He grinned proudly. "What about mine?" he asked, nodding at the drill.

"Please," she snorted. "The two of you are in the hardware store every chance you get. And you've been drooling over that drill for the past month. We went out for your gift and he went right to it."

He laughed and nodded. "That's my boy." He pointed at the present on her other side. "So, can I have it?"

She handed it to him and watched him as he opened it. She saw the surprise in his expression when he realized what it was and she bit her bottom lip, waiting for his reaction.

Michael pulled the art kit out, his fingers moving over the brushes and paints. He hadn't painted in years and the supplies available to them in art class in high school hadn't been of this caliber. "Maria, this's…" He shook his head as he picked up one of the brushes and rubbed his fingers over the soft bristles. "This's great, babe." He leaned over to kiss her. "Thanks." He nodded at the envelope sitting in her lap. "Your turn."

Maria slid one finger under the flap and pulled it up, sliding the card out and opening it up. She picked up the tickets for a concert in Montreal a couple of months away along with suite reservations at a nice hotel. "Michael…" she glanced at Carradine, smiling as he tried to open another present while wearing hockey gloves. "How did you get your hands on these?" The concert had sold out but she hadn't been expecting to go anyway.

He shrugged. "Secret powers," he said with a smirk. "I know how much you like U2 so I thought we could go, make a weekend of it. Isabel, Kyle, one or both of them can come up that weekend to keep an eye on Carey."

She smiled but before she could say anything Carradine discovered the hockey stick and his excited shouting filled the air.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Hugo opened the front door and ushered their guests inside, grinning at Michael when he sarcastically thanked him for the wake-up call that morning. He slapped the other man on the back and laughed out loud. "No problem, Guerin, glad I could help." He looked down at Carradine, all decked out in his hockey helmet and carrying his new hockey stick. "Looks like Santa did good this year."

"I got hockey lessons too," Carradine said with a big grin. The words were mumbled around the mouth guard he was wearing. "Where's China?"

"Carey! Carey! C'mere, lookit what Santa brought for me!"

He ran into the living room, dragging the stick behind him and looking around for his friend. His eyes widened when he saw the puppy bouncing around the room, yapping happily. He slid to a stop when he saw China surrounded by a mountain of hockey equipment and he hurried to show off his own gear.

Maria smiled at them as they compared their gift list and played with the Collie puppy that China had named Charlie. When she questioned Mei about the name the woman had shaken her head, not having an answer to that question. They settled down in the dining room, leaving their children to their own thing while they carried on their own conversation. When Maria told her new friend about Michael's gift to her she asked what they would do with Carradine for the weekend.

"We have a couple of friends who might be able to come up."

Mei smiled and nodded. "We would be happy to watch him for you," she offered. "He and China are getting along so well now."

"Thank you, Mei. I'll talk to Michael and see how he feels about that." If the kids continued to get along as well as they had been lately then she thought it would be a good idea. Carradine needed to spend time around other people, to become used to learning to control his powers when he was in situations outside of his home. They would have a better idea of whether it was even something they could feasibly consider after more time getting to know their neighbors.

She turned her head to glance at her husband. He and Hugo were involved in one of those conversations that sounded more like an argument over some sport or other. Michael wouldn't be easy to convince. It would take work and time for him to be comfortable leaving Carradine with Hugo and Mei. She was a good judge of character though and she trusted her instincts. _It was all just a matter of how it was handled,_ she thought with a smirk. And if there was one thing she knew it was how to handle Michael Guerin.

6


	11. Epilogue

_**Epilogue…**_

Carradine crossed the campus, absentmindedly whistling as he thought about Christmas. The big holiday was coming up and he couldn't wait to be with his family again. Even now he could feel the anticipation and he knew it was because his parents had always made Christmas special at their house. He and his sisters had been fortunate to grow up in a home where they had never doubted their parents' love. It was something that had been obvious every day of the year, not just at the holidays.

He smiled to himself as he thought about the phone conversation he'd had with his parents earlier. Everyone was going to be at their house for Christmas this year and they had wanted to make sure he was coming home. His parents, sisters, aunts, uncles, cousins and even Grandma were all going to be together for the first time in a while. _It was going to be complete chaos,_ he thought with a big grin.

He arrived at the building that housed the lecture hall and he took the steps two at a time. He caught the door after a couple of other students exited and he glanced at his watch. He had stayed on the phone longer than he should have but Mom and Dad had started arguing about something no one but them would understand and he had practically seen his sister rolling her eyes when she had grabbed the phone.

He had laughed when she had complained about their parents, insisting that they made up things to argue about just so they could make up. He had snorted and told her he'd figured that out years ago. He shook his head and shifted his books higher under his arm as he rounded a corner too fast and slammed into someone. He reached up to rub his chest where one of the other person's textbooks had hit him. He looked around at the books and papers scattered around… a girl. He cocked his head to one side as his gaze moved over her slowly. _Yep, definitely a girl._ He opened his mouth to apologize as he held a hand out to her but she smacked his hand away and scrambled to get to her feet.

"Why don't you watch where you're going!" she yelled as she started stacking her books and papers into a messy pile. "It's so typical of men to go through life thinking they own the world! I've got a newsflash for you – "

"Hey, don't go blamin' me because you weren't watchin' where you were goin'," he snapped. If she thought she was gonna win this one she was sorely mistaken. His parents had nearly perfected the art of arguing, especially when it came to men versus women. "You women wanted equality so you can just watch where you're goin' too! You don't get to pull the equality card when it's convenient for you an' just file it away the rest of the time. You're just as much to blame here so don't pull all that feminine crap with me."

He saw her stiffen at that remark and she straightened her spine as she whirled around to face him. Her dark eyes were blazing with righteous indignation as she stomped up to him, nearly tripping over one of the books in the process. Her hands came to rest on her hips as she drew herself up to her full height, which was considerably less than his six-foot frame.

"Don't you dare talk to me like that! Do you have any idea who I am?"

He shrugged carelessly. "Should I?"

"I'm the woman who will make your entire college life a living hell! You want a war, you've got one!" She stopped mid-rant when she noticed the way he was staring at her. _Of course,_ she thought with a roll of her eyes. She was in the middle of telling him how it was going to be from now on and he was staring at her like an idiot. She reached up to toss her long black hair back over her shoulder, smirking when his eyes followed the movement.

"Yes, I'm hard to resist but that won't help you now. Trust me, it won't get you anywhere." She took a step back when he suddenly laughed, wondering what was wrong with him.

"China Mai Mercier, you haven't changed at all," he announced with a laugh. "You're still a firecracker." His eyes danced with amusement as he took in her confused expression. He could see the underlying annoyance in her eyes as she tried to figure out how he knew her and if she should know him.

"How do you know my name?"

"Jeez, considering the similarities between our meeting here and the first time we met I'd think you'd remember my name."

Her eyes narrowed. "And yet I don't."

He just grinned at her snotty tone. "Carradine Guerin."

Her mouth dropped open for a moment. "Little Carey Guerin, my next door neighbor when we lived in Quebec?" She smirked when he made a face. "Let me guess… no one calls you Carey anymore?"

"Just Mom," he admitted with a shrug. There was no breaking her of the habit and he had finally just followed Dad's advice and let her win that one.

"What're the chances we'd run into each other again like this?"

"Are you kiddin'? Anyone who knew how we met." He shook his head. "The only difference is this time you didn't knowingly assault me… I don't think."

They looked at each other, remembering the morning they had met and the weeks of contention that had followed and they burst into laughter. Students and faculty passed by them, carefully stepping around the papers still scattered on the floor, tossing speculative looks at the couple holding onto each other as they laughed so hard they could barely breathe.

"You got anything that you can't miss out on for the next couple of hours?" Carradine asked when he could breathe again.

She was leaning against his side as they braced their backs against the wall. "No, what about you?"

"I was on my way to a lecture, but this's more important." He smirked. "More fun, too."

She shoved him and knelt down to start gathering her papers together. "Your mom would have your ass for blowing off a lecture."

"So? Your mom would have your ass just for sayin' the word ass," he threw back at her as he crouched beside her to give her a hand.

"I'm 20 years old, Carey. I can say whatever I wanna say."

"Yeah, bet you wouldn't say it if your mom was standin' here."

She stuck her tongue out at him. "Neither would you."

_That was true,_ he admitted – silently. Her mom had not tolerated language of any kind and the two of them had gotten into trouble more than once for using bad words in her presence.

She snorted. "You know it's true whether you admit it out loud or not."

Carradine paused to look at her. As kids she had always picked up on what he was thinking and he had never understood it. "Hey, your mom could be scary!" he said to cover when she looked up at him.

"Could be? She still is!"

They walked to a coffee shop not far from campus and settled down at a corner table after ordering their drinks. Carradine shrugged out of his heavy winter coat and piled it on top of hers on one of the other chairs at their table. He stirred sugar and hazelnut-flavored cream into his coffee as he glanced up at her, watching her for a moment as she doctored up her hot chocolate, adding vanilla-flavored cream to it.

"So, what're your parents up to now?" he asked finally.

"They're in New Zealand now with my two irritating little brothers. Dad's still with the same company, bouncing around the globe. He's been talking about taking an early retirement so they can finally settle down in one place."

"Yeah? They thinkin' 'bout comin' back to Canada?"

"Canada or China, they haven't really decided yet." She leaned forward over her hot chocolate. "Dad really wants to come back home though. He'll do whatever Mom wants to do because he wants her to be happy, but he misses being in Canada. He won't admit it, but I know it."

He shook his head and grinned at her. "Still a daddy's girl, huh?"

"And proud of it." She shrugged and took a sip of her hot chocolate. "Once a daddy's girl always a daddy's girl. What about your parents?"

"They moved down to Florida a couple years back."

"Florida? That's awesome! They have great beaches down there and then there's the surfing."

"You're into surfin'?" he asked, interested.

"Oh, yeah," she enthused. "A few years ago Dad's company sent him to Brazil for about a year and a half. I loved to hang out on the beach and I learned to surf. It's an amazing feeling, Carey. Being out there, just you and the ocean."

"So, some kinda Zen thing?" he asked with a softly mocking smirk. "The Zen of surfing… sounds like the kinda thing my Uncle Kyle would be into."

She shook her head at him. "Do you get to see more of your family now that your parents have moved? You had an uncle and aunt in Florida when we were kids, right?"

He nodded. "My family's a lot closer together now, not so spread out all over the place. My sisters love it there though."

_Sisters… plural._ Her eyebrows lifted in surprise. "How many do you have?"

"Three, and they're the most annoying, nosy, opinionated girls I've ever known."

"So basically just female versions of you," she teased.

"Damn, I know our parents kept contact after you guys left Canada, and we left Quebec not long after that, but somehow…" he shook his head. "How did _we_ lose touch?"

"Hell if I know. I guess we were both just getting to the age where we were ready to start really exploring our worlds beyond our known boundaries and that allowed us to move on after we moved away from each other."

For hours they talked about what they had been up to since the last time they had seen each other, caught up on old news and laughed over the things they had gotten up to as kids. They had commiserated over the loss of their beloved childhood pets and reminisced over the Christmases that had brought the dogs into their lives. They had regaled each other with stories of their siblings, told tales of their times in different countries, and even shared their most embarrassing moments during those awkward teenage years.

They lost track of time as the hours passed by, occasionally stopping to refill their mugs or order something to snack on. Eventually the conversation turned to the freedom of being away from home and missing their families, even more than usual as the holidays approached. Carradine cocked his head to one side, studying her and seeing the sadness in her eyes in spite of the brave smile on her face when she admitted that she wouldn't be seeing her family this Christmas.

"So come home with me," he blurted out.

"What?"

"Yeah, I mean, my parents always loved you…" he trailed off at her snort of disbelief. "Well, alright, but we both drove Dad crazy at the beginning." He laughed. "I remember him tellin' Mom when she got pregnant that it'd better be a boy. She swears it's his fault I ended up with three sisters."

"Your parents are great, Carey, but from the sounds of it they're gonna have their hands full with your whole family being there."

"So? You do remember my parents… lots of love and lots of crazy. They thrive on the chaos in their lives."

"Your mom thrives on it," China corrected. "Your dad simply tolerates it for her sake."

Carradine shrugged. "Whatever it is, it works for them. So come home with me and spend Christmas with me an' my family."

She bit her lip, so tempted to just say yes. "You really don't think they'd mind?"

"Don't make me call Mom. It's late," he motioned to the clock on the wall that was nearing the midnight hour. "Dad would have a fit if I woke the whole house up to ask a question that I already know the answer to. Trust me on this, China, my parents would love to have you with us for the holidays."

She shook her head at him when she finally gave in and he smirked smugly. "God, you look just like your dad when you do that," she laughed.

The evening eventually drew to a close and he insisted on walking her to her dorm room, reluctantly leaving her only after they had exchanged phone numbers. Walking back to his apartment he had once again been whistling under his breath, happy to have been reunited with his best friend and certain that this time they wouldn't make the same mistake and lose contact with each other again.

What he didn't know was that not only would they stay in contact, but that just a few months after graduating college the two of them would get married and begin a life together.

The End

6


End file.
